Advances in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are occurring rapidly with new developments in technology. If you had a chance to attend the ASHA Convention or the Closing the Gap Conference, you were probably surprised to see how many new products are available.
Many special education specialists remember the days when they had to create communication boards by cutting out pictures and pasting them on boards. Those days are gone. Computer board programs now make it possible to create customized picture boards quickly. Speech synthesizers have made it possible to generate speech that can be used with communication boards on AAC devices. Real speech rather than synthesized speech is being offered in a product called Picture Master Language Software. This program, published by Academic Communication Associates, has become the "talk of the town" in AAC programs and programs for students with communication disorders because it far surpasses other products on the market. The software can be used to create printable communication boards or instructional activities that include real speech. The animated picture symbols in the program work especially well with children who have autism and other severe disabilities.
The Bluebird 2 is an AAC device that can use real speech from picture boards created using Picture Master Language Software. The speech is downloaded to a compact flash card that can be inserted directly into the Bluebird. The Bluebird also has a flip-page feature that makes it possible to place a group of picture boards on the device simultaneously. The device stores speech for each board.
What's next? How about 3-D picture symbols for AAC devices? You won't have to wait long. A collection of 3-D was on display at several recent conferences. Many new products are in the works that will make communication easier and more efficient for individual who are unable to speak.
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Article Source: ACA Special Education News (2006) Article 63-08. Published by Academic Communication Associates, P.O. Box 4279, Oceanside, CA: Academic Communication Associates Web: www.acadcom.com